Divergent: Four
by alyoung
Summary: The story of Divergent from Four's perspective/POV. I focus on Four's thoughts and his developing feelings for Tris. This is my first piece of fanfiction. Thank you for reading, and thank you for your reviews.
1. Ch 1 - First Jumper

(Chapter 6 - Four and Tris meet)

"They should be here any minute."

I glance to my right at Lauren, who peers up towards the hole of light at the top of the cavern. "But who knows how long it will take for the first one to jump," she says.

I nod slightly, focusing on the center of the net we stand around. Two years ago, I was the last person in my initiate class to jump. I had been frozen with fear, barely able to close my eyes and tilt forward off the ledge. Gravity had done the rest.

My flashback is broken when I see someone fall through the hole. She races through the air with hair and loose clothing tumbling around her as she falls. With a snap, she hits the net, and she rebounds with a loud gasp.

She's wearing gray. A former Abnegation. Impossible.

My eyes widen at the thought that she might recognize me, but chances are pretty low. I never got out much in Abnegation.

She slowly unravels her body to lay on her back, cradled by the swaying net. I hear her breathing deeply, and then she laughs, amazed at the space she just fell through. As she begins to collect herself, she looks at her surroundings, and I instinctively extend my hand into the net towards her.

She recognizes the perimeter of the net and climbs towards the edge. I grab her outstretched hand and pull her towards me.

As she swings her body off the net, she stumbles and collapses into my arms. She's small, and thin, and I catch her easily. She seems too small to be an initiate, but as I help her on her feet and steady her by her arms, I am struck by the force in her eyes.

She examines my face, and I stare carefully back at her, searching for signs of recognition. But I see none.

"Thank you," she says, and I let her go, and she looks towards the crowd of Dauntless waiting for her.

"Can't believe it," Lauren says from behind her. "A Stiff, the first to jump? Unheard of."

"There's a reason why she left them, Lauren," I say. "What's your name?"

She hesitates. "Um…"

Good. She wants to start over too.

"Think about it," I say. You don't get to pick again." I try to stifle a smile. She reminds me of me two years ago. I wonder who she is.

After a moment, she says, "Tris."

Tris.

"Tris," Lauren repeats, grinning. "Make the announcement, Four."

Keeping my eyes on her, I shout over my shoulder, "First jumper – Tris!"

The Dauntless below us cheer and pump their fists. But the noise is cut as another initiate comes screaming through the hole and falls into the net behind me. There is laughter, but then more cheering.

I return to Tris, and I gently place my hand on her back, guiding her towards the crowd. "Welcome to Dauntless."


	2. Ch 2 - Ferris Wheel

(Chapter 12 - Four and Tris climb the Ferris wheel)

"That's the sissy way out," says Uriah. "I vote we go all out. Hide the flag well enough that they can't find it."

An argument erupts, and everyone shouts their ideas for how to win this game. With a sigh, I back up to the edge of the carousel behind me and take a seat. I picked my team to be fast, and now they are using up their lead. Still, I can't help but have a good feeling about tonight.

I look up, and I notice how quiet the night sky is. Mostly dark, with a small moon and some thin clouds. The noise of the team's conversation seems to subside, and I can hear my own breath.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice someone moving away from the group. My eyes dart towards the figure, and it's Tris. I wonder what she's doing. She moves quickly, and I get up before she's out of sight.

Without making any noise, I make my way around the rest of the team, who are still deep in argument. I follow behind her at a distance, and she stops when she reaches the bottom of the Ferris wheel. Oh no. As she hesitates on the first rung of the ladder, I catch up to her.

"Tris," I say, quietly.

"Yes?" she says. She seems unsurprised, as though she knew I was there.

"I came to find out what you think you're doing." Please don't climb this.

"I'm seeking higher ground," she says firmly. "I don't _think_ I'm doing anything." She can be funny sometimes.

"All right," I decide. I take a deep breath. "I'm coming."

"I'll be fine," she says. I know you'll be fine, I think. It's me I'm worried about.

"Undoubtedly," I say, and she starts ascending the ladder. After a moment, I grab the first rung and start climbing after her.

Soon, our steps are steady, and we are in sync with each other. I know better than to look down, but I am all too aware of how high off the ground we are getting. I need to focus on something else.

"So tell me…," I say. "What do you think the purpose of this exercise is? The game, I mean, not the climbing." I focus on keeping my breaths deep, but I can feel my lungs tightening up already.

"Learning about strategy," she says. "Teamwork, maybe." She continues to climb with hesitation.

"Teamwork," I repeat. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

"Maybe not," says Tris. "Teamwork doesn't seem to be a Dauntless priority." Right.

"It's supposed to be a priority," I say. "It used to be." But not anymore. I try to take slow breaths as I continue to climb, but my mind is wavering.

"Now tell me," I continue. "What do you think learning strategy has to do with… bravery?"

"It… it prepares you to act," she says. "You learn strategy so you can use it."

Suddenly, Tris stops climbing, and she is quiet. "Are you alright, Four?" she asks.

I realize that my breathing is loud and fast. The inside of my body is shaking. This isn't normal. "Are you human, Tris? Being up this high… It doesn't scare you at all?"

Before she can answer me, a gust of wind swings Tris swiftly to the right, and she loses her balance. Without thinking, I reach out to block her body from falling off the ladder. I grab her hip, and I firmly guide her back to the center. By chance, I brush the skin of her waist with my finger, and the warmth shocks me. Suddenly, I'm not thinking about how high we are anymore.

"You okay?" I say.

"Yes," she says. We continue to climb in silence, and we reach the platform soon after.

She turns to me. "You're afraid of heights. How do you survive in the Dauntless compound?"

"I ignore my fear," I say. "When I make decisions, I pretend it doesn't exist." I look at her, and I try to catch my breath, and I am silenced by the steadiness in her eyes. Like she can see straight into me.

"What?" I say, a little defensively.

"Nothing," she says, and she looks away. I don't want to look anywhere but at her. And after surveying the view, she looks up at the Ferris wheel and says, "We're not high enough. I'm going to climb." Of course.

"For God's sake, Stiff," I say.

"You don't have to follow me," she says, and she begins to climb up the crossed bars of the Ferris wheel.

"Yes, I do." I start climbing, and I focus on her. Her hands, her feet, her movements.

Soon, we are high enough to see the entire city skyline.

Tris has stopped climbing. She points an area near the end of the pier. "See that?"

I catch up to her, and standing right behind her, I look over her shoulder. "Yeah." A green flag. She found them. Of course she did.

I realize how close I am standing to Tris and how close her face is to mine. I can almost feel the heat off her skin, but the cool night breeze carries it away. My breath has steadied.

"It's coming from the park at the end of the pier," I say. "Figures. It's surrounded by open space, but the trees provide some camouflage. Obviously not enough."

"Okay." She turns to look at me. For the first time tonight, she looks like she's lost focus for just a moment. "Um… Start climbing down. I'll follow you."


	3. Ch 3 - Visiting Day

(Chapter 15 - Four Meets Natalie)

It's visiting day today. I'm in the Pit, and all around me, I see initiates reuniting with their families for the first time since the Choosing Ceremony. Most of them look happy.

No one's coming for me, though. I guess I could be anywhere else right now. But I want to see her. Maybe her family will be here.

Behind me, I hear a light, airy laugh that I don't recognize. I turn to look, Tris is there. She's looking at me, and our eyes lock. Then I see the woman that she is with, her mother. Oh no.

Natalie Prior. She must know me. She's been in my house. But that was years ago, and I've changed a lot since then. She doesn't seem to recognize me now. I erase any sign of worry from my face as I walk towards them.

"Hello," she says, extending her hand. "My name is Natalie. I'm Beatrice's mother." I shake her hand as confidently as possible, but I release my breath when I let go.

"Four," I say with a nod. "It's nice to meet you." Do you remember me?

"Four," she says with a smile. "Is that a nickname?"

"Yes," I say, falling silent. I need to change the subject. "Your daughter is doing well here. I've been overseeing her training."

"That's good to hear," she says. "I know a few things about Dauntless initiation, and I was worried about her."

I turn to look at Tris, and she is studying me. I try to read her face, but I return to Natalie before too long.

"You shouldn't worry," I say. Tris can take care of herself.

Suddenly, Natalie says, "You look familiar for some reason, Four," peering at my face. No.

"I can't imagine why," I respond hurriedly. "I don't make a habit of associating with the Abnegation." I need to leave.

Natalie laughs. "Few people do, these days," she says. "I don't take it personally." That was close.

"Well, I'll leave you to your reunion," I say, and I quickly turn and walk away. I focus straight ahead of me, and I don't dare to look back.


	4. Ch 4 - Drunk

(Chapter 19 - Four Gets Drunk)

God, it feels good to laugh. There's just so little to laugh about around here. Even if I have to get drunk to do it.

I look around me at the Dauntless in the Pit. I'm standing with the few good people I know, but I wonder if she's here too. I've been thinking about her a lot lately. Too much.

I see some of the transfers walking by, and sure enough, Tris is with them. Wow. She looks really beautiful tonight.

I watch her, and she doesn't see me, but I want to talk to her before she leaves. Her name slips from my mouth, "Tris!"

She looks at me, and as I make my way toward her, I realize my head is a little fuzzy. What was I going to say to her?

"You look different," I say simply. Stronger, I think. She looks at me with suspicious eyes.

"So do you," she says. "What are you doing?" Hah, I must look pretty drunk.

"Flirting with death," I say with a grin. "Drinking near the chasm. Probably not a good idea."

"No, it isn't," she says.

My eyes roam from her face and notice a tattoo near her collarbone. "Didn't know you had a tattoo," I say. "Right. The crows."

I realize I'm staring at her skin, and I quickly gesture over my shoulder at my friends. "I'd ask you to hang out with us, but you're not supposed to see me this way." It's too bad.

"What way? Drunk?" she asks.

"Yeah… well, no," I say. "Real, I guess." And I might give myself away.

"I'll pretend I didn't," she says.

"Nice of you," I say. I should go.

Her friend is standing right there. But I have to say this.

I take a breath, lean in close to her face, and whisper, "You look good, Tris." Do you know how much I mean it?

She laughs. "Do me a favor and stay away from the chasm, okay?" she says.

"Of course," I reply, and I wink at her. Maybe she does know.

She smiles, and as I turn to get back to my friends, I smile too.


	5. Ch 5 - Two Parts

(Chapter 21 - Part 1)

It's just Uriah, showing off with a pellet gun. No one with a butter knife. Or worse.

As Shauna, Zeke, and I walk into the practice room, Uriah fires another shot and hits the target.

I look around. Marlene, Lynn, and Tris are with him. Tris?

"I thought I heard something in here," I say. We've all been on high alert since what happened with Edward.

"Turns out it's my idiot brother," Zeke says. "You're not supposed to be in here after hours. Careful, or Four will tell Eric, and then you'll be as good as scalped." It's an empty threat, but it works. The initiates make their way toward the door, and I step aside to let them out.

"You wouldn't tell Eric," Lynn says to me.

"No, I wouldn't," I say. Eric and I aren't always on the same side.

I watch Tris as she follows behind the group, and as she passes, I turn to usher her out. But when my hand touches her back, I realize that I want her to stay.

"Wait a second," I say quickly. And then my mind goes blank.

The others continue walking down the hall, and Tris turns to me. What do I say?

She looks at me with restless eyes, and I smile to ease her mind.

"You belong here, you know that? You belong with us," I say. "It'll be over soon, so just hold on, okay?" You can do this.

I wonder if I've just given myself away. I must have. She must have figured it out by now.

But she stares at me without saying a word. And then, she reaches for my hand. Our fingers intertwine, and I give her warm hand a gentle squeeze.

I look at her face, but I have no words. I hear my heart beating. One, two, three, four.

And before either of us speaks, she pulls her hand away and rushes off toward the others.

* * *

(Chapter 21 - Part 2)

My eyes blink at the screen. I can't focus.

I've been in the control room for hours, but I keep thinking about her. How her hand felt in mine. How her eyes poured into mine. The moment plays over and over again in my head.

She must know how I feel about her by now. Maybe she just doesn't feel the same way. Maybe she's not sure. Maybe she doesn't know.

Maybe I should get some sleep.

I lock up the control room, and I head back down to the Pit.

It's quiet tonight, and I hear the faint sound of the river below. Suddenly, there's a loud scream. The chasm.

I run toward the sound, and I see Peter holding Tris by her neck, dangling her over the railing. "HEY!"

I lunge at the attackers, and Peter releases Tris, who collapses onto the railing. He runs away before I can reach him, but I catch Drew by his collar, and I throw him to the ground. I don't think about what I'm doing as I punch him, kick him, and punch him again. But when I realize that he's stopped fighting back, I stop. Tris.

I look up to where she is, and she is slumped over the railing, barely able to open her eyes. She blinks at my face, and she mouths my name, "Four." I'm here.

I grasp her by her shoulders and lift her over the railing, pulling her into my chest. I hold her close, breathing heavily against the hair. You're safe now, Tris. You're ok. I gather up her weakened body in my arms and carry her away from the chasm. Please be ok.


	6. Ch 6 - Ruin Them

(Chapter 22 – After the Attack)

I almost killed someone tonight. I nearly did kill Drew. It would have been so easy.

I rub my knuckles as water washes blood down the drain. Most of the blood isn't my own.

I have some cuts on my hands, and some bruises. There is a sting on the corner of my mouth, but that's it. The image of Drew's bloodied, distorted face enters my mind. I did that to him. But Tris is safe.

I glance over to my bed, where Tris is sleeping. She's safe for now, at least. My eyes return to my hands, and I wonder if Peter will try again. To hurt her. Or to kill her. I wonder if what I did to Drew was enough. To scare them both.

I turn off the water. She needs ice.

I grab an ice pack from the freezer, and I walk toward the bed. Tris's eyes are open, and she's looking at me.

"Your hands," she whispers. She looks worried. And weak.

"My hands are none of your concern," I say. I kneel on the bed to ice the side of her head. I can feel her watching me as I lean over her.

I set the ice pack down and begin to pull away, but then I see her reach for my face. I stop.

Her hand hovers in front of my face, just for a moment. And then she gently places her fingertips on the side of my mouth.

"Tris, I'm alright," I say. Her hand feels shaky, and she pulls it back.

"Why were you there?" she asks.

"I was coming back from the control room," I say. "I heard a scream." I try not to think about what might have happened otherwise.

"What did you do to them?" she asks. The image of Drew comes back to my mind.

"I deposited Drew at the infirmary a half hour ago," I say. "Peter and Al ran... Drew claimed they were just trying to scare you... At least, I think that's what he was trying to say."

"He's in bad shape?" she asks. I can't tell if she's concerned or relieved.

"He'll live..." I answer. "In what condition, I can't say."

"Good," she says, and she takes a hold of my wrist. She tightens her grip, and in the next moment, her body tenses up, and she closes her eyes. When she opens them again, a few teardrops fall down her face. I freeze. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say.

I crouch down next to the bed and watch her cry for a moment, helpless. I think about the guys that attacked her. Cowards.

Tris looks at me, and I realize that I'm not helping. I need to be here for her now. I am here.

I lift my hand from her grasp and gently take a hold of her face. Her eyes relax as I stroke my thumb on her cheek.

"I could report this," I say. But I already know what she'll say.

"No," she replies. "I don't want them to think I'm scared."

I nod. "I figured you would say that," I say. I lower my hand.

"You think it would be a bad idea if I sit up?" she asks.

"I'll help you," I say, and I get rise up to lift her off her back. She winces as she gets up, but she tries to hide the pain.

"You can let yourself be in pain," I say. "It's just me here." You should feel safe with me.

She bites her lip. Her cheeks are shiny with tears.

"I suggest you rely on your transfer friends to protect you from now on," I say. Peter will never stop.

"I thought I was..." she says. "But Al..."

I know, Tris. "He wanted you to be the small, quiet girl from Abnegation," I say. "He hurt you because your strength made him feel weak. No other reason." He was weak.

Tris nods, unconvinced.

"The others won't be as jealous if you show some vulnerability," I say. "Even if it isn't real." Even if that's not you.

"You think I have to pretend to be vulnerable?" she asks, skeptical.

"Yes, I do." Hide yourself to save yourself, Tris. Like I do.

"You're going to want to march into breakfast tomorrow and show your attackers they had no effect on you," I say. "But you should let that bruise on your cheek show, and keep your head down." Its angers me to tell her this, but it's the best way to keep her safe, for now.

"I don't think I can do that," she says.

"You have to," I reply.

"I don't think you get it," she says slowly. "They touched me."

I freeze at her admission, and I softly repeat her words, "Touched you," through my teeth.

"Not... in the way you're thinking," she says explains. "But... almost."

She gets quiet, and she looks away from me. Again, I feel helpless, and I stare at her troubled face. She looks confused but determined at the same time. I just need her to be safe.

"What is it?" she asks.

"I don't want to say this, but I feel like I have to," I start. "It is more important for you to be safe than right, for the time being. Understand?"

After a moment, she nods. She's a target, and she knows it now.

I take the bottom of her face in my hand, and I make her look at me in the eyes. "But please," I say. "When you see an opportunity... ruin them."

She laughs nervously at my words. "You're a little scary, Four," she says. Four.

"Do me a favor, and don't call me that," I say. It reminds me that I'm hiding from something too.

"What should I call you, then?" she asks.

"Nothing," I say. "Yet."


	7. Ch 7 - The Kiss

(Chapter 26 – The Kiss)

I hold Tris's hand as we walk toward the Pit. I am nervous, but I am excited too. My heart has calmed down since finishing my fear landscape, and I somehow feel stronger by holding her small, soft hand. I lightly trace my finger on her palm, and she shivers at the sensation.

"So…" she says, looking at me. "Four fears."

I nod. "Four fears then; four fears now," I say. "They haven't changed, so I keep going in there, but… I still haven't made any progress."

"You can't be fearless, remember?" she says. "Because you still care about things. About your life."

"I know," I say. And not only my life.

I keep a hold of her hand as I lead her down a narrow path on the edge of the Pit. The air gets cooler as we get closer to the river, but we are alone, and the further we get from everyone else, the safer I feel.

"You were going to tell me about your aptitude test results," she says. Ah, this again.

"Does it matter?" I say.

"Yes, I want to know," she says.

"How demanding you are," I say. I smile at her, but I leave it at that and continue walking.

We get to the end of the path, and we begin climbing through the rocks along the water. We weave our way to a spot that I come to sometimes, whenever I don't want anyone else around. We take a seat on a wide rock that is off to the side, and we dangle our legs over the moving water below. The sound of the river separates us from the rest of the Pit, but it's quiet enough for us to talk.

"These are things I don't tell people, you know. Not even my friends," I say. "My results were expected. Abnegation."

"Oh," she says quietly, and she pauses. "But you chose Dauntless anyway?"

"Out of necessity," I say. I had to get out.

"Why did you have to leave?"

I don't look at her. Instead, I look across the water, out at nothing. The last scene of my fear landscape is still vivid in my mind.

"You had to get away from your dad…" she says. "Is that why you don't want to be a Dauntless leader? Because if you were, you might have to see him again?"

"That, and I've always felt that I don't quite belong among the Dauntless. Not the way they are now, anyway," I say. Things have been changing, and not for the better.

"But you're… incredible," she says. "I mean, by Dauntless standards. Four fears is unheard of. How could you not belong here?"

I shrug. "I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren't all that different," I say. "All your life you've been training to forget yourself, so when you're in danger, it becomes your first instinct. I could belong in Abnegation just as easily." But I chose Dauntless.

"Yea, well, I left Abnegation because I wasn't selfless enough, no matter how hard I tried to be," she says.

"That's not entirely true," I point out. "That girl who let someone throw knives at her to spare a friend, who hit my dad with a belt to protect me – that selfless girl, that's not you?"

After a moment, she frowns at me. "You've been paying close attention, haven't you?" My face heats up at her accusation.

"I like to observe people," I say simply. It's the truth, but I know it's not what she was asking.

"Maybe you were cut out for Candor, Four, because you're a terrible liar," she says.

She's right. And now I have to say it. I turn to face her.

"Fine," I say, and I lean close to her face, and I lift my gaze to her eyes. "I watched you because I like you," I say. "And don't call me 'Four,' okay? It's nice to hear my name again."

She gives me a skeptical look. "But you're older than I am… Tobias."

I smile. "Yes, that whopping two-year gap really is insurmountable, isn't it?"

"I'm not trying to be self-deprecating," she says. "I just don't get it. I'm younger. I'm not pretty. I-"

I laugh, and I softly kiss her temple.

"Don't pretend," she says. "You know I'm not. I'm not ugly, but I am certainly not pretty."

"Fine. You're not pretty. So?" I say. I lean in again to kiss her cheek. "I like how you look. You're deadly smart. You're brave. And even though you found out about Marcus… You aren't giving me that look. Like I'm a kicked puppy or something."

"Well, you're not," she says.

I believe her. And I don't need to say anything more.

I reach for her face with my hand, and I place my lips on hers. They're soft, and I press my lips more firmly. She freezes slightly, so I pull back, but just for a moment.

I look at her intently, and I take her face in both my hands. I am certain of this, and I kiss her again. And this time, she relaxes, and she wraps her arms around me. Her hand glides from my neck to the back of my head, and we kiss. We are alone in the chasm, and there is nothing else.

* * *

**_Thanks for reading, everyone. I skipped a couple of chapters in the book (like Four's landscape), but I was really excited about getting to this chapter. I hope you liked it! I will go back to fill in the missing chapters later._**


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